This invention relates to a connector for use in connection of a connection object, such as a flexible board.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H7-153531 discloses a connector for connecting a flat cable as a connection object.
Referring to FIG. 1, the connector disclosed in the above-mentioned publication will be described. The connector depicted at 41 has a U-shaped housing. The housing 42 is provided with a pair of tail plates 43 formed at opposite sides of an end portion thereof. The housing 42 has a bottom portion 42c provided with a plurality of contact receiving grooves 42c1. In the contact receiving grooves 42c1, a plurality of contacts 46 are received and held, respectively. Each contact 46 has a front end provided with a contacting portion 46a to be contacted with a corresponding one of a plurality of contacting patterns 54 of a flat cable 51, and a rear end provided with an engaging portion 46b. The engaging portion 46b is inserted into a through hole 42a1 formed at a base portion 42a of the housing 42.
The connector 41 has a recessed portion 44 formed between the base portion 42a of the housing 42 and the tail plates 43 and defined by left and right side portions 42b and the bottom portion 42c of the housing 42.
The flat cable 51 has one end provided with a connection base portion 52 of a rectangular shape. The connection base portion 52 has a rear end connected to an extending portion 53 narrower in width than the connection base portion 52. The connection base portion 52 has an upper surface provided with the contacting patterns 54. The extending portion 53 has an upper surface provided with a plurality of wiring patterns 55. The contacting patterns 54 are connected to the wiring patterns 55, respectively. The connection base portion 52 has a lower surface to which a reinforcing plate 56 is fixedly attached.
The flat cable 51 and the connector 41 are connected to each other in the following manner. The flat cable 51 is turned upside down from a position illustrated in FIG. 1. The connection base portion 52 is inserted into the recessed portion 44 of the connector 41. Then, the contacting patterns 54 are contacted with the contacting portions 46a of the contacts 46.
In the above-mentioned connector 41, the housing 42 has the base portion 42a and the left and the right side portions 42b. Therefore, the connector 41 is complicated in structure and is inevitably increased in overall size.